Posted on 07/12/2009 5:21:08 PM PDT by Coleus
Only 15 minutes into their daily brainstorming session, the executives at the Telebrands infomercial headquarters think they've already found their next miracle product. Heads are nodding vigorously around the conference table as vice president Bob Barnett dangles what looks like an ordinary plastic hook. But wait, there's more, he says: It's a car hook for a woman's purse, so "if she takes a tight turn, the purse doesn't spill out."
The room breaks into loud chattering, then hushes as chief executive A.J. Khubani mulls the idea. "We need a woman's advice," Khubani finally says, swiveling to face the makeup artist who has been quietly powdering his forehead. "Gina?" You've heard about many of their biggest hits -- the StickUp Bulb, the AmberVision Sunglasses, the Ab Roller, the Swivel Sweeper. But what you might not know is they all came to life in New Jersey boardrooms like this one in Fairfield.
Over the past three decades, the Garden State has become a hub for the multibillion-dollar "As Seen on TV" industry. It's where Billy Mays, the pitchman of OxiClean fame who died suddenly last month, began his rise to stardom and filmed his final television spots. New Jersey is also where at least four national infomercial powerhouses are now headquartered.
"We're talking about a lot of money here. We're talking big dough. That's what people don't realize," said Sam Catanese, president and chief executive of the Infomercial Monitoring Service, a Philadelphia-based company that tracks the frequency of infomercial spots. "You don't think these companies are big, but they're huge."
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
What about us guys who lay a cell phone or some other object in the front passengers seat only to have it slide off and fall between the seat and the door when we take those pesky left turns?
As annoying as his voice was, seems like he was a good guy who, through hard work and his own personality, achieved the American dream (and had a barrel of fun doing it). We recorded the tribute episode the other evening, and plan to watch it tonight.
Cool picture! Did you just get that on ebay?
Billy Mays filmed his last commercial here in NJ in a
studio in my town.
RIP Billy.....
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